A chemical burn in the eye is an eye emergency that needs immediate attention to minimize long-term negative consequences to your vision:

  1. Flush your eyes immediately with cold water or saline for 5-10 minutes
  2. If you are wearing contact lenses, remove and throw out your contact lenses.  Your contact lenses will have absorbed whatever chemical you accidentally spilled or sprayed onto your eyes and it will be nearly impossible to thoroughly clean them in a way that will make them safe to re-use.
  3. Give your eyes at least 24 hours to rest before re-applying contacts or before wearing any make-up that may touch your eyes.
  4. Light chemical burns will make your eyes look red, moderate to severe burns will turn your eyes white.  Visit your local eye doctor for immediate care if you suspect something more serious.  Your optometrist may prescribe antibiotics to help the healing process if your injury includes corneal abrasion.